The document provides guidance for completing a case study analysis of music videos. It outlines 3 tasks to complete: 1) analyzing the purposes and strategies of music videos, 2) exploring styles, techniques and conventions, and 3) conducting a case study analysis of at least 3 music videos. For the case study, the student is instructed to discuss the videos in relation to style, techniques, intertextuality, camerawork, editing, genre conventions, and critical approaches. The document emphasizes applying concepts from the lectures and examples, including illustrations and video links, in a creative approach to structuring the case study response.

1. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
CASE STUDY
YO U R N A M E H E RE

2. MUSIC VIDEO PRODUCTION
• We will look at Music Videos from a number of perspectives, this template is for
you to write up your notes and to complete your case study.
• The document is split into 3 different tasks, each with separate questions to
answer.
• Task 1 is concerned with the purposes of music videos and the strategies
employed by labels and artists
• Task 2 is concerned with the styles, techniques and conventions of music video
production
• Task 3 is your own case study into a minimum of three music videos where you
can unpack and discuss the videos considering everything you have looked at in
Task 1 and 2
• You are expected to submit each section on a weekly basis during your remote
learning weeks.
• If you get stuck, talk to/email your tutor for guidance.

3. NOTES ON COMPLETING THE
CASE STUDY
• It is often easier to show something you are discussing than to
take time describing it. With this in mind, feel free to add lots
of illustrative images from your chosen video examples. Links to
YouTube/Vevo/etc are also encouraged.
• Remember, when you make a point or define something, you
should follow this with an example, an explanation of this and
then link to further texts/videos where possible.
• If you don’t think there is enough room to add your full
response to a question, don’t just reset the font size to really
small, add an extra slide wherever necessary.

4. TASK 1 -
PURPOSES
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K AT S E C T I O N 1
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA S K

5. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q1 - Outline the 3 core purposes of music video with a short
explanation for each:
• To create a brand image or identity for a performer, as to allow the
audience to create associations in their head that amplify their
regard for an artist.
• To entertain the audience as to increase the amount of enjoyment
they get out of your video, in turn enhancing aspects of your song
that might otherwise have lacked, all then contributing to this
increase in popularity and coverage.
• To reinforce a social message that the creator may wish to make
light of using their platform.

6. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q2 – What are some of the broader purposes of music videos? Try and
outline a minimum of 3. (Think about some of the strategies employed by
artists in their videos and how they represent themselves, you could
consider where the artist is on a major label, independent label of unsigned,
is there a difference between them?)
• Provides the band or artist with an ability to make a near perfect version of
their song and perform it without the intensity of a live performance.
• Allows a band or artist to collaborate with other artists or actors that they
wouldn’t otherwise be able to spontaneously schedule with.
• Provides a band or artist with the ability to put a large budget into a one
time production that will sustain its higher quality indefinitely and attract
the attention of the internet and those who would otherwise be incapable
of accessing their music.

7. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q3 – Branding; select an artist you like and look at how they
present themselves in their music videos. Explain what their ‘brand’
is, who is appeals to and why they might have done this.
• Bo Burnham
• Brand conventions: Satire, Comedy, Exposing the entertainment
industry, Breaking the fourth wall and being meta to existing
conventions, being a generic human, flamboyancy.
• These conventions appeal to those who seek something relatively
fresh and self-aware that inhabits intelligently written comedy.
• Bo Burnham has likely done this to differentiate himself from the
crowd of other youth stars who go on to exhibit slightly more
disingenuous future careers. He seems to want to push the agenda
to his fanbase that the world is unfair and his growing popularity as
a brand allows him to do this.

8. TASK 1 - PURPOSES
• Q4 – Compare One Direction and Animal Collective music videos [find
them on YouTube!], what can you discern about each act from their videos?
What is the main aim? Explain why.
• One Direction’s videos seem to be aiming to present pure positivity and
good times, in the way that the videos contain light-hearted, bright and
colourful scenes where the group are just hanging out together without
consequence. They are often also shot doing fun or extravagant activities,
further solidifying their desire to come across as excitable or happy.
• Animal Collective videos seem to be far more abstract and less to the point
or easy to read. They are full of sequence which might be present to make
the audience think a bit more for themselves or provide their own
viewpoints, featuring ambiguous animations, artistry and other non-
representational imagery.

9. TASK 2 – STYLES,
TECHNIQUES AND
CONVENTIONS
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K AT S E C T I O N 2
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA S K

10. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q1 – Describe and explain the use of camerawork in music videos, i.e. the
types of shot used with examples to illustrate this and how this creates
meaning
• One Direction’s videos contain lots of establishing shots, ELS’s as well as
medium shots of the members filling the frame. The movements are
generally handheld or dolly, with almost no static shots. All of this is very
reminiscent of the animation of youth and helps to make their productions
feel vibrant and energetic and present a sense of freedom.
• Though the shots are generally a bit more ambiguous than that of One
Direction’s, Animal Collective seem to make their videos a bit more closed
off. Execution of close-ups and medium shots, as well as static or slow-
moving dolly shots allows for a more obscure or uneasy atmosphere which
might speak greater volumes for their artistic intent. It allows the focus to
be put on the intricacies of the band, which couples nicely with their highly
contrasting colour palette, to create a very thought-provoking production.

11. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q2 - Describe and explain the use of editing in music videos, i.e. the types of
shot used with examples to illustrate this and what the effect of this is/meanings
that are created/etc
• One Direction’s videos contain a large amount of gentle fading transitions
between shots. This helps to soften the videos, adding less weight or intensity to
what is happening on the screen. They also often edit sequences of the band
spending recreational time together in a lapsing fashion, in order to present the
audience with the mindset that the band are having tireless amounts of fun
during the process of the video, in turn making the audience feel better just by
watching the production.
• Animal Collective opt for less cuts per video, in the editing, as to match with the
speed or intensity of their songs. It also allows for more consideration to be put
on each frame, without having to jump around between sequences too often.
Also their use of green screen allows for smooth transitions between separately
filmed moments, meaning even when a cut does happen, it’s often seamless.

12. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q3 – Genre conventions; often music videos adhere to genre
conventions within their visual style and production techniques.
Select a recognisable genre and use illustrations to explain what
their genre conventions are…
• For one example, Western Pop Music contains the following
conventions: Fashionable clothing, mainstream appeal,
happy/excited emotional spectrum, themes of love/desire, bright or
bold colouring. These conventions are used to provide an overall
feeling of positivity that will reflect upon the artist, creating a more
positive idea of them in their audience’s head than what may be
true.
• Examples include Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande

13. TASK 2 – STYLES, TECHNIQUES
AND CONVENTIONS
• Q4 - John Stuart’s description of the music video “incorporating, raiding
and reconstructing” is essentially the essence of intertextuality [something
asserted by Andrew Goodwin]. Can you explain what intertexuality is and
find a minimum of 3 examples of it in music videos?
• Intertextuality is the relationship between several different projects, the
suggestion of one item in the world of media being involved with another.
• Examples of this in music videos include use of props related to franchises
or products through associations, use of sound effects or visual effects
which provide connotations of another work of media or use of themes,
characters, actors, locations etc which are also suggestive of anything else
in the realm of media. Intertextuality could also come in the form of a
Director’s auteur linking the project in question to projects of theirs that
have come before.

14. TASK 3 – CASE
STUDY
Y O U S H O U L D O P E N T H E M U S I C L E C T U R E
P O W E R P O I N T A N D L O O K AT S E C T I O N 3
B E F O R E D O I N G T H I S TA S K

15. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• For your individual case study you must study an artist of
choice, focusing on a minimum of 3 videos [ideally 5+ videos]
• This should provide discussion on the usage of the following:
– Style[s] & Techniques employed
– Intertextuality
– Camerawork/editing
– Genre conventions
– Critical approaches [you should be applying some of the critical
approaches from your lessons and some of your own, to your
selected videos]

16. TASK 3 – CASE STUDY
• You should include a video link for the videos used
• You should include illustrative stills from the videos chosen
• Be creative in your approach, it is suggested you use the heading
on the previous slide a guide on how to structure your response to
get you started
• Remember, make a point, use a specific part of the chosen video as
an example, explain yourself and then link to another video where
possible
• Compare and contrast your artist/genre to other artists/genres
• Remember to consider differing contexts
• Add slides here as appropriate – DO NOT SHORT CUT THIS
SECTION, IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT

17. BO BURNHAM
• Bo Burnham is an American Comedian/Music Artist who favours
the use of satire and irony over all else in the way he conducts
his comedy. His genre is mainly Comedy thus but he dabbles
into multiple other music genres in order to play off their
conventions, including Country Music, Rock Music, Rap Music
and most significantly Pop Music. His videos are also all centred
around himself as a recurring theme and as a result, there are
conventions of One Man Performances and Solo Music Artistry
throughout his videos too, with the overlying theme of
significance being social awareness and irony.

18. BO BURNHAM
WELCOME TO THE INTERNET
In this song, we see conventions of traditional Klezmer music, developed
by those of Jewish descent in Central/Eastern Europe. The idea of such
music was to be jovial and upbeat but also available at any level of wealth
or depravity. This is reflected in the video through the simplicity of the
one shot which is used primarily throughout. The shot contains no props
other than the piano and Bo and as a result, it reflects the idea of just the
person and their instrument. The song itself is exposing the horrendous
nature of the internet alongside how powerful it is. As a result, the music
video is shot in quite surrealistic and advanced lighting to reflect the
futuristic qualities that the internet might possess to whomever Bo would
be welcoming into it. This song also possesses many characteristics which
are in high contrast with that of Klezmer. The level of authenticity and
realism are two main things missing. This was likely as a result of the
parodying of Klezmer music not being the main intent of the song. The
music is also, however, slightly reminiscent of Circus music which is likely
more where Bo was leaning towards in his performance, as he is
intertextually suggestive of the characteristics of a circus conductor or
ring master. This connects better with the theme of the video as the lyrics
suggest he is trying to invite you into a show and make you feel welcome
in the chaos that he has minor control over. This is also suggestive of how
the internet can be condensed down into and lose its meaning when it is
as active and never-ending as it is. This kind of nihilism is something that
Bo uses as a consistent social message to his audience. The idea that the
internet is a microcosm of the world and the world is messed up in his
eyes. All of this binds together to still provide moments of comedy such
as close ups which better drive significant lines home and create a level of
intensity that makes the video so absurd that it’s incredibly comedic but
also impactful.

19. BO BURNHAM
REPEAT STUFF
Repeat stuff is different in the way that it possesses a level
of simplicity in its intent. The video attempts to directly
parody modern pop media and music artists such as Justin
Bieber and Katy Perry directly. The video thus contains
many of the genre conventions such as over-positivity,
bright colours in shots and use of props which contain a
high level of prestige such as expensive sports cars or
clothing, as well as relationships and connection to others.
There are also multiple shots in which members of the
scene are playing children’s games. This fits with the
conventions of pop music which dictate that fun and games
should be a primary part of the stuff that makes the video
seem positive. These conventions begin to fade away more
towards the end of the video, however, as the audience are
provoked to come to the realisation that this genre of
music is unhealthy or unfair to its audience. The song
therefore carries the heft of another of Bo’s classic social
agendas which is that corporate bodies are not genuine as
they mass produce music to enforce commercialism and
ultimately increase their overall income from social
popularity. This suggests a much darker meaning which
contrasts greatly with the positive themes that were

20. BO BURNHAM
COMEDY
This song is much more stylistic and a lot more happens that
contrasts moments against one another likely because it was one of
the opening acts to a Netflix show and thus had to be consistently
entertaining. The song contains one shot which is split imaging, a
shot which is quite reminiscent of pop music, which this song is
quite closely related to. This sets the theme of the song as it is the
first shot, driving home Bo’s intent to embody the personality and
agendas that society would have him embody in a commercial
world. This song makes light of the time of COVID, suggesting
completely self aware that all the darkness in the world can be
resolved by one man acting as though everything is well and
providing the same service he would normally to lift everyone’s
spirits in their time of need. The video also makes references to how
someone of Bo Burnham’s race and gender has too much influence
in the world. This impactful social message once again contrasts
with Bo’s video which is played in a positive light very reminiscent
of how others in the mainstream do their videos but not in an ironic
way. This contrast is very much a staple of what Bo does as an artist
and is a significant player in why his comedy is so effective. The
song itself is called Comedy, very simply, to play off the idea of one
line generalised titles that music artists use. The lighting is also very
stylistic and intense. This was likely done to be as closely related to
the subject material as possible, making the production value seem
much higher, despite the limitations of the time so that it can better
mimic the genre it hopes to reflect.

21. TASK 4 – LINKS
TO YOUR OWN
WORK

22. LINKING FORWARD…
• Now it’s important to think about how you can use some of what
you’ve learned in your investigations for your own work.
• Summarise in this section the key techniques, styles, conventions
and genre you prefer and what you think you could use in your
project.
• Think of this as a place to put all those loose ideas for your music
video and how you intend to apply the things you’ve enjoyed
looking at.
• Remember, music video is a medium that has a lot freedom in
terms of form and style. It is also the medium that steals,
incorporates and re-integrates all the things you have seen and
experienced.
• Add slides as necessary, it will make the next section of the
much easier

23. LINKING FORWARD…
I would like to use key conventions of Pop, both American, English
and Polish influenced. Stylistic colouring, nothing too intense
however. Themes of positivity, smiling, comfort, coziness. One man
connotations too, just the subject alone in a room with their
instrument, but not lonely.
Suggestions of music providing joy or happiness. Music helping you
ponder etc.
Bare room, simplicity, shots would be medium shots mainly. Locked
off shots also.
The music is diegetic – The song would begin after the subject sits
down to play. Realism, naturalism.